Cotton-cleaning machine



E.H.ROONEY COTTON CLEANING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 28V. 1920 A Unna/Info@ .H MW

E. H. ROONEY COTTON CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 28, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Juny w, w23.

E. H. ROONEY COTTON CLEANING MACHINE 1920 4 Sheets-'SheefI 5 Filed ADril 28 ATTORNEY .Fuy w, E923.

E. H. RooN-EY COTTON CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 2a, 1920 4 sheets-snakt 4.

? XENTOR Ma I ATTORNEY Patented .lilly lll, i923.,

artista nnwnv Horasnoon nooivnv, or rnovrnnncn, nnonn rsLAND.

COTTON-CLEANING- MACHNE.

Application filed April` 28, 1920.4 Serial No. 377,180.

To all 'to/tom t may concern. n

Be it lrnown that L ELWIN H. RooNnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at lrovidence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton- Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangementof mechanisms for the cleaning and carding of libre particularly cotton, cotton waste or other vegetable libre and relates more particularly to an impro-ved means and method of transferring the stock from the cleaning cylinders of liclrers-in or similar mechanisms. lllie improved features Aof my present invention are particularly valuable and advantageous when incorporated dn. the well-known type of licher-1n mechanisms employed for the initial cleaning and cardlng of cotton fibre and is designed to effect the removal of the fibres from the licher-in cylinder by means of an air blast so as to eliminate the necessity of employing mechanical means therefor. My improved means is accordinely operative to remove the fibres in a manner avoiding` the physical contact therewith of mechanical means thereby to eliminate and avoid the resulting damage to the libre by the relatively severe mechanical action. I

important features of my inventionconsist of an improved means for directing an air blast or air jet tangentially of and on to the surface of the cylinder to be cleaned and further in the association therewith of suction condenser means suitably co-related with the blower so as to receive and convey the fibres dislodged by the blower. My improvedl arrangement materially contributes to the efficiency of the blower in its strippingaction and further operates to loosen the trash and rearrange the libre preparatory to further cleaning action by subsequent mechanisms. A still further valuable feature of my invention consists in an improved arrangementof the blower and suction means whereby 'a Vsingle blower is employed therefor connected at its intake and discharge sides or ports respectively with the suction and the blower conduits. rl`his desirable arrangement is not only economical from the standpoint of installation and operation but is further advantageous in maintaining a definite and proper relation between the stripping` blast and tie suction co-r'elated thereto.

@ther valuable features and advantages of my improved arrangement will be understood by references' to the accompanying drawings whereinl like reference numerals are employed to indicate the correspondin parts in the several views.

In the drawings i 1Fig. l is a longitudinal side elevation illustratingv the features of my invention with portions thereof shown in section vso as to better illustrate certain parts.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view in end elevation.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic viewof my improved licher-in type of cleaning mechanism in an arrangement thereof adapted principaliy for the cleaning` of cotton libres, and

Fig. i is asimilar view illustrating a vdesirable embodiment thereof in combination with a carding machine.

Fig. 5 is a. longitudinal sectional View illustrating a desirable modified embodiment of the features of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a partial rear elevation thereof.

F ig. 'T is a view partially in longitudinal section illustrating further modified construction, and

F ig. 8v is a partial rear elevation thereof.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the improved features of my present invention in a. desirable arrangement incorporated in the usual licher-in type of cleaning machine which.l as will be understood, may be independently used for the purpose of cleaning and straightening the cotton *orv other fibre or may be used in combination with a carding machine for the cleaning` and carding of the cotton in a continuous operation to produce the usual sliver suitable for spinning into yarn. ln the construction as shown, l indicates the usual supporting frame in which is suitablyjournalled the rotatable licher-in cylinder 2 having its peripheral surface pro-vided with the teeth 3 to receive the fibre and carry the latter downwardly over the usual adjustable mote knives indicated at 5.

' The stock is delivered to the licher-in over the usual feed plate 6 in the form of a lap from the usual lap roll not shown The eign substances.

stock is advanced over the feed plate by means of the rotatable feed roll 7 suitably journalled and operative to advance the stock over the nosing portion 38 of the feed plate' into contact with the teeth of the licher-.in cylinder 2, the latter being rotated i yinthe directionl of the arrow by suitable driving connections. The liclrer-in'cylinder receives the stock from the feedplate 6 with a combing action and carries it downwardly over the usual mote knives 5 which act thereon to extract the trash and for- The stock is then carried forward upon the `licher-in cylinder to a point beyondv the usual licker-in protection screen 9 and is then stripped or removed from the licker-in cylinder in the manner as hereinafter described and is subjected yto a further cleansing action and subsequent combing and carding actions if desired.

In accordance with my present invention I have devised an improved pneumatic means and method of stripping the clean bre `or stock from vthe licker-in cylinder which operates to effect the desired result in an efficient and improved manner having important advantages over the means and methods heretofore'employed for that purose. Y p As a furtherfeature of my improved device. myl improved pneumatc stripping means is employed in conjunction with a` vformed of `a/metallic screen or perforated cylinder'which is suitably journalled upon the frame 1 and rotated by suitable driving connections in a clock-.wise direction as shown in Fig. 1. This cylindrical collecting screen or condensingcage has means associated therewith for creating a current of air therethrough and from that portion of the licker-in cylinder where the cotton is stripped therefrom so that the fibres are drawn by a-current of air and deposited upon the surface of the condenser screen chute or conduit 12 is interposed between the licher-in cylinder 2 and the condenser cage 10 and arranged to provide a closed passage therebetween having a constricted opening 13 adjacent the surfaceof the llicker-in cylinder toreceive the stock therefrom and having its .walls at its rearward extremity in close contact withrthe periphery of the condenser cage. Wthin the 'condenser cage there is positioned a stationaryslotted drumv 15 extending longitudinally therethrough and provided with an elongated slot 16 directed towardand lin registration with thel A( lrearward open endofthe chute 12to establish communication therewith through the condenser screen. v l

As will be readily understood one end of the drumis suitably closed and at its opposite end as shown the drum is open ended and connected to communicate with a suctionpipe 18. At its other orlower end the suction pipe 18 is connected to theinlet port of a suitable rotary air ypump or fan 20, the rotor 21 of which has affixed thereon a driving pulley 22-which is rotated at suitlable speed by means of a driving belt 23.

From vthe discharge opening or port of the blower fan 2O a pipe 24 is vertically extended and terminates in a connection with a horizontally arranged blower 25 extending transversely of and in close proximity to the peripheral surface of the licher-in.

let slot ornozzle 26, which as illustrated is directed tangentially to they circumference of the licher-in cylinder 2 so as to direct a The blower 25 is provided with an elongated outblast of air into contact withl the teeth thereof ina directon to dislodge and strip the fibrestherefrom. .As will be further noted the stripping blast fromfthe nozzle 26 is also directed toward and into the forwardly directed'opening 13 of the chute whereby the suction of the latter cooperates chute 12 and. deposited upon lfthe condenser cylinder 10 in the form of a layer or lap, the'thiclrness of .which is'governed byk the 'speed of rotation of the condenser cage and from the latter it passes beneath a condenser roll 28l and is stripped therefrom by means of va suitable 'stripping knife or equivalent means to pass from. the machine. As will be readily appreciated the resultv 'ing operation of my improved mechanism For .this purpose as here shown a curved effects the `stripping or removal of the stock from the licker-in cylinder under the cooperating influence of the suction and blower or air blast. whereby this rvfunction.

is performed inan efficient manner and without ythe employmentofl mechanical means to engage the fibressuch as the stripping brushes commonly employed. Als' a resiilt the libres' are stripped from the licker-in without the more-"or less severe meclianical action and damage to the fibre re` sulting therefrom; Moreover in the approved construction of mechanism, as illustrated, a single fan or blower may be employed with economy to produce both the suction and the stripping-'blast with the ad Vantage of maintaining a 4constant and in the respective volumes y stripping currents upwardlyinto the chute 12. As will be understood this auxiliary blower should he of reduced volume or pressure relative to that of the main stripping blast from nozzle26 and the air supplied therefor may be from any suitable source. As will be 4readily appreciated the improved stripping blast of my invention is capable or use in modified form, and arrangement without departing from the broader scope of the invention and is susceptible of use for the stripping of the fibre from the cleaning or carding cylinders of various types. Furthermore while l have described and illustrated in Fig. 1 a desirable cons'truct-ion of cleaning machine which may be used independently as a cleaning unit it will be understood that the improved features thereof may be employed in multiple units arranged lin tandem relation where further cleaning action is desirable. In Fig. 3 there is yillustrated. diagrammatically such an arrangement p wherein the mechanism' of Fig. v1 is duplicated in tandem arrangement to produce a double unit cleaning and combing mechanism.

Furthermore as shown in Fig. l inyin'i'- proved features and mechanism may be' einbodied ina tandem licher-in mechanism associatedwith a carding niacl'iine in an arrangement generally similar to that disclosed in patent to" Beirne' Gordon, jr'. No. 1,165,088, issued under date of December 21 1915. ln the latter construction as indicated my improved. mechanism as described is arranged in advance of a second licher-in cylinder 30 arranged to deliver 'the stock directlyr to the main caidii'ig `cylinder 31 which i's rotated in the direction as indicatedk to carry the stoclr under the usual flats 32 to be carded thereby. y From the cylinder 'Sithe stock is received uponnthe doler cylproduces an initial cleaning of the fibre which contributes materially to the effectiveness of the succeeding cleansing action in the card proper whereby the necessity lof double carding is eliminated, By the incorkporation of my improved feature Awithin the arrangement i as described it will be noted that the 'libres delivered to the card will be ina greatly improved-condition not only as to parallelism `and as to cleanliness but also 'as to the physical condition of lthe staple.A l

ln Figures 5 and e l have illustrated a cleaning machine of the character described employing a modified form of pneumatical-ly operating stripping means for removing the cottonffrom lthe licher-in cylinder. ln its general features this machine, of Figures 5 and 6, is of a substantially similar construction to that of the machine illustrated yin Figures 1 and 2 'comprising the usual licher-in cylinder 2 operating with mote knives 5 to which the' stock is f edby means of the feed roller? from the usual feed plate 6. rlhev fibre as removed from the licker-in cylinder passes through the chute 12 to the condenser cage or rotatable screen cylinder 10 from which ,it passes` from the niachine beneath the condenser roll 28; rlhe construction embodies the stationary cylindrical baffle or drum 15 as hereinb'efore described having a closed end and its opposite end being open tocoinmunicate with a' suitable suction blower or fan, the rotor of which may desirably be mounted upon a shaft e() provided with an external driving pulley l-l therefor. lt is designed that. rol tation of kthe fan shall be inV a direction to exhaust the air' from within the drinn 15 to create a continuous air current through the elongated opening 16 thereof so 'as to suck the fibre on to the condenser cylinder or screen 10 from within thechute 12.

The modification of Figures 5 and 6 consists in the provision of pneumatic stripping means for removing the libre from the licl'rer-in cylinder consisting of suitable blowers i3 and 4.1i provided with elongated outlet nozzlese and 16. These nozzles entend longitudinally of the peripheral surface of the licher-in cylinder and as indicated 'are directed tangentially against the surface of the cylinder inA opposite directions whereby the air currents therefrom will lmeet and be denected upwardly within the transfer chute 12 to convey the fibres therethrough. The blowers 43 and lli are connected with conduits. 48fand 49 to an air compressor or compressed air reservoir whereby lin its Inodilied formv thestripping blast or air curf rent is derivedy from af source independent of the blower 2 1 of the condenser cage. As will be fully understood 'thel blowers or vblower nozzles i5 and 46 are wholly en-` closed within the V.forward lportion ofl the transfer chute 12.

further approved modied construction designed particularly to eifect a more direct transfer of the. stocln from they licher-in cylinder' to the condenser means.. As indi- ,catedthis arrangement comprises the `vvusual lickerin cylinder2 havingl the cooperating cage is provided.

mote knives 5, plate 6 and' feed rolls 7 and to cooperate therewith a double condensery rlhev latterv comprises similar rotatable condenser 'screens 52; and 53 arranged one above thek other and'rotaty .able upon ythe ,respectivev shafts 54rand 55 through suitable driving connections not shown.

Each of' the condenser. screen encloses astationary cylindrical baiiie or drum .57 or 58 `suitably supported to Vextend lungi tudinally therethrough and provided with l.centrally `and forwardly directed openings 60 and 6l a Ya conduitvor pipe 68 providing` a passage way to thev intake. "of asuitablensuction `blower-x21 mounted upon-anoperating shaft 6l`where`by the single blower will .oper-ate to exhaust the; air" from vboth of thefbatfle drums' asis readily understood. A suitable enclosureor covering', for thevlickerlin and condenser cages is provided ,consisting of a top fcover yplate .66, having.v its forward and rearward rend portions curved `into close proximityto the' surfaces of the licher-in andy upper condenser'cage respectively and `a bottom` cover plate'67is similarly ar-y ranged.` tov vform a bottom lwall and vvto enclosey thevlower condensery screen. lt will be further understood that: atv the opposite side suitable side enclosing wallslGSl are provided.l

intermediatek of thev licker`-in `and[ 'upper.

is positioned as indicated" to -liein close proxinntywto' lthe curved surfaces of the -licher-in andvcondenser'care and to define :between its lower edgeand theforward edge of the ybottom plate 67 an opening or eX- posure of they liclrer-inv'surface directed to- .-ward the condenser and' from which the lstock isfremoved 1n the mannerv as hereinbefore described.rv 'For this/latter purpose a suitable blower 'pipe 70 is positioned-as shown to vextend axially ofl the licker-in `cylinder-and-.is provided with an kelongated .nozzlel 1 adjacent the lower portionof said.

In Figures 7' and 8 ll havediscloised'a cylinder and .directedtangentially theref;

against and toward the .condenser cage openings. The' dischargeiof air orairxblast fromV the nozzle vlwillin this arrangement be `operative .to strip the breand-p`roject `the same directly ontoA the condenser, screens. F rom the latter the stock will pass upwardly between the condenser rolls Z2-73;' As will be further understood the blowerA `pipe 70 maybe suitably connected .to-` anysource of air supply, `vfor 'instance to an` external source of compressed- 'air or as indicated. in Figures 1 and 2 theair current may be sup# plied from the exhaust Of the blower.y f

Having described my invention', lclaim il.v In a machine oftheycharacter described, the combination of supportingUv frame, la ro.h tatable liclre'nin cylinder suitably journalled therein and clothed upon its peripheral surfacel with picker teeth, means for feeding the stock to thepcylinder, mote knives suitably 'arranged-to"coact'with the cylinder for i cleaning` the` fibre, va suctioncondenser arrangement associated with the licker-incyln inder'and positioned relatively lower than said cylinder andcomprising-a cylindrical collectingl screen suitably journalled, Ia slot- -ted drum positioned withinpthecondenserv .at its forward end v,being` provided with an entry openinng in 4close proximity. to :the

licher-in cylinder `and the air blowermeans arranged 4to direct anfair. blast 'upon a .peripheral surface ofthe liclrlerini'cylinder and directed into the entryopening of said chute, a connection from said blower .means communicating' with 'the discharge port `of the fan whereby the ,latter producesboththe lll) suctionrand b'lowerair currents,'meang for rotating` the licher-'in cylinder, -means y operativeto rotatev the .condenser `screen and means for operating.y theblower fan, sub- -Y y .st'antiallyas described. l

lm ost condenser 4a suitably Vcurved bafflev 69 2.` ln a machineof the characterjdescribed,

the combination ofa icylinderhavingteeth upon its peripheral surface, means to deliver ythe stock thereto, meansto coact withthe cylinder to effect the cleaning ofthe fibre Sand meansoperative to transferthe fibre fromy said `cylinder comprising means vfor j directing lan air` blastr substantially ;tan

',Q'entialto the circumference` of said cylinder in the-direction of rotation ofsaid cylinder, a vsupplemental'meansA forwdlrecting an air` blastsubstantially trangential to the 'circum-f ference of'said cylinder and in 'opposed relation to said irst air blast and suction means cooperating therewith and having an entry ton fibre and the like comprising a supporting frame, a rotatable licher-in cylinder suitably journalled therein and provided upon its peripheral surface with teeth, means to deliver the stock thereto, means to co-act with the cylinder to effect cleaningof the fibre, means to transfer the fibre from said cylinder comprising blower means for directing an air blast into contact with the fibres at the top of the cylinder, suction condenser means arranged to receive the libre removed from the cylinder, and positioned at a lower level with relation thereto, a chute interposed between the cylinder and the suction condenser means, said chute having an entry opening disposed adjacent said top of the cylinder and arranged whereby the blower is directed thereinto, a suction fan associated with the condenser means to create a suction thereto and a connection from the discharge port of said fan to the blower for operating the latter, substantially as described.

1l. In a machineof the character described, the combination of a cleaning cylinder, means to deliver the stock ther-stm means to co-act withthe cylinder to effect the cleaning of the'ibre and means to transfer the fibre from said cylinder comprising means for directing air currents tangentially to the circumference of the cylinder into contact with the fibres and in opposed relation and a transfer chute having an entry opening into which the opposed air currents converge.

5. ln a machine of the character described, the combination of a cylinder having teeth upon its peripheral surface, means to deliver stock thereto, means to co-act with the cylinder to effect the cleaning of the fibre and means operative to transfer the fibre from said cylinder comprising means for directing an air blast substantially tangential to the circumference of said cylinder in the direc-` tion of rotation thereof and a supplemental. means for directing an air blast substantially tangential to the circumference of said cyl- .inder and in opposed relation to said rsty air blast and of lrelatively reduced volume.

6. ln a machine ofthe character described, the combination of a liclrer-in` cylinder having teeth upon its' peripheral surface, means to deliver the stoclr thereto, means to co-act with the cylinder to effect the cleaning of the fibre and means operative to transfer the fibre from said cylinder comprising means for directing an air blast substantially tangential to the circumference of said cylinder in the direction of rotation thereof and a supplemental means for directing an air blast substantially tangential to the circumference of said cylinder andinopposed relation to said first air blast and of reduced volume and said air blasts being positioned to impinge upon the cylinder at substantially the top surface thereof.

i 7. ln a machine of the character described, the combination of a licher-in cylinder having teeth upon its peripheral surface, means to deliver the stock thereto, means to co-act with the cylinder to effect the cleaning of the libre and means operative to transfer the supplemental means for directing an air blast substantially tangential to the circumference of said cylinder and in opposed relation to said air blast and of reduced volume and said air blasts being positioned to inipinge upon the cylinder at substantially the .top surface thereof andl suction condenser means cooperating therewith and positioned at a relatively lower level and a transfer chute provided with an entry opening into which the air blasts are directed and an outlet opening positioned to deliver the stock to the condenser means at the upper level thereof.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ELWIN HGLBROOK ROONEY.

l/Vitnesses HAROLD P. ,SALisBUnn HAYWARD T. PARSONS. 

